Justice Luiz Fux of the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court (STF) has announced the schedule and participants for an upcoming public hearing focused on the implications of a provisional measure banning betting in Brazil. This hearing is part of Direct Action of Unconstitutionality (ADI) 8027, which Fux is presiding over.
A total of 28 entities are set to participate, representing various sectors such as the executive branch, football clubs, sports organizations, and relevant associations and institutes.
To confirm their participation, entities had until 3 PM on Thursday to submit the names and powers of attorney for their representatives via email to adi8027@stf.jus.br. Each organization is allowed to nominate up to two representatives.
The hearing is scheduled for November 3, beginning at 10 AM in the session room of the STF's Second Chamber. It will be broadcast on TV and Radio Justiça and available on the STF's YouTube channel.
Participants will have ten minutes each to present their views on Provisional Measure (MP) 1.394/2026, which bans fixed-odds betting and mandates the cancellation of licenses for related companies.
Among the participants are prominent football clubs including Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, Cruzeiro, São Paulo, and Corinthians, along with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB).
The hearing will also see contributions from various government offices, including the Attorney General's Office (AGU), the Ministries of Finance and Sports, and the Prosecutor General's Office (PGR). Industry groups such as the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) and the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) will represent the interests of the betting sector, alongside associations advocating for economic freedom and media regulation, including the Brazilian Association for Economic Freedom (Able) and the Brazilian Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters (Abert).
In ADI 8027, the ANJL seeks to halt the enforcement of Provisional Measure 1.394/2026 and eventually declare it unconstitutional. The petition also calls for the STF to affirm the legality of laws governing fixed-odds betting in Brazil, which are similarly contested in related ADIs 8,024, 8,028, and 8,035.
The STF is also examining additional related cases, namely ADIs 7721, 7723, and 7749, which challenge Law 14.790/2023, known as the Betting Law. A public hearing regarding these ADIs was conducted in November 2024, including input from over 50 experts and representatives from governmental and civil sectors. The AGU has requested a new hearing to reassess the implications of betting legislation and the adoption of the provisional measure, supporting the need for an updated discussion.
The timeline for the hearing includes ten minutes of opening remarks from Fux, followed by ten minutes for each football club to present their arguments, after which the CBF and COB will also take the floor. Following a lunch break, the AGU will present its perspective, followed by representatives from the Ministries of Finance and Sports. The ANJL and IBJR have been allocated speaking times between 3 PM and 3:20 PM. The final presentation will be made by the International Gaming Association around 5 PM.
